Mage Academy

Life Goes On

When we reach the Academy we haven't exchanged one word. We don't need to.

We put our bikes back in the shed and lock it up, then stand there. The sky is growing lighter, and it's time we left for the dorms.

"Bye." I say softly. Max gives one nod, and I turn away.

It's harder to get back in the Academy than to escape it, but I jump some roofs and climb the tower, checking that everyone in the dorm is asleep before I haul myself through the window by my bed.

I don't get much sleep. No wonder really; my whole life is officially upside down. I should be freaking out but I don't have the effort for it. I just feel dead inside. Gibby curls up next to me and falls asleep straight away.

It takes all of my acting abilities (which are sharp from a lifetime of lying to people about my magic) to pretend to wake up with everyone and get ready for the day ahead as if nothing has happened. In the dining hall while everyone is chattering away, Max and I pick at our food, both of us looking like walking death.

I try and blend in with everyone, chatting to Lydia, Guy and Oliver about living on Earth as a magician (Oliver shares the stories with me, since he lives in Manchester we are the only ones in our group who have experience living without magic). Lydia and Guy are telling me about the times that they travelled to Earth, and how shocking it was for them to hide their magic. I am laughing at a story Guy is sharing when I glance at Max. He is just sitting there, pushing the food around his plate with a sombre expression. He looks how I feel, and isn't even covering it up.

Master Plato goes up to the platform, and the hall becomes quiet.

"I hope you all enjoyed your first day at Mage Academy," she booms, and the hall cheers. "Today is going to be slightly different. You will all be going to Moonbeam!"

Everyone is cheering and applauding, and a weak smile spreads across my face. Max doesn't even look up.

***

"I am so happy we are going back to Moonbeam! Earth is great and all, but I miss seeing other magicians," Lydia grins.

We are standing on the Academy lawn along with all of the students, and most of the Teachers. They have divided us into our groups, and Group 5 is standing with Mr Croft. We are waiting for the Teachers to open the portals.

"It's just perfect that we're going to Rainbow. The capital city is the best place in the whole of Moonbeam!" Lydia goes on. She is super hyped; each group got assigned a different place to visit in Moonbeam. When she found out where we were going, she almost knocked me out by lifting her hands in the air and accidentally sending a jet of water at my face. Guy used Air to dry me off. "I feel bad for Group 3; having to go to the Crayon Canyons. There's nothing there but dust, rock and giant blood-sucking demon crabs."

Finally we are ready to leave. We watch as all of the Teachers use a Portal Pass (which looks like an ordinary key except for having a crystal embedded into it, which stores up the magic) to draw a vertical line in the air. Mr Croft's line materialises and turns a sparkling shade of purple, then slowly expands to the size of a regular door, swirling with shades of purple. My heart fills with glee when I see the familiar sight; it looks just like my mum's. Every morning I would watch her disappear into that pool of colour, and every evening I would wait by the window to see it appear again, to see her climb out of it.

My mother.

Who is she?

I squeeze my eyes closed, and feel a well of pain flowing through me.

"Everything alright, Mal?"

I open my eyes to see Lydia gazing down at me with a concerned expression. I force a smile and nod.

"Line up!" Mr Croft tells us. Some members of the other groups are already vanishing into their portals. We get in a line, and I find myself at the back. "Just walk through, okay? Don't jump or you might crash into something--or someone-- on the other side of that Portal."

Max goes first, his body being absorbed and then sucked into the pool. Darren goes after, and when Mr Croft isn't looking Guy runs up and leaps face-first into the Portal. Lauren rolls her eyes and walks into it after him, the rest of the group laughing. "What is it?" Mr Croft asks, and we all hold our tongues and shrug.

One by one, everyone in Group 5 bounds into the Portal, until I am the only one left on the lawn. The only one left on Earth.

Mr Croft gives me an encouraging smile and I face the Portal, excitement creeping up my bones. I have only done this a handful of times, and each time feels like the first.

I focus on the purple abyss and take a deep breath. Then I leap forward, gliding over the grass. I forget about how we aren't supposed to run into it; it just seems more natural this way.

The Portal envelops me with warmth, tingling on my skin like a beam of sunlight. For a moment time stops, and I am floating in a purple cloud.

And then that cloud fades away and I collide with hard reality. I grunt, other people grunt, as I realise that I have crashed into my group leaving us lying in a heap of arms and legs on the floor.

"Sorry," I murmur to everyone, and lift my head off Oliver's back. Taking in the sight, a massive grin spreads across my face and for a few precious seconds, all of my troubles melt away.

We are in Moonbeam.